The United States Navy has intercepted an Iranian commercial vessel in the Arabian Sea and ordered it to return to Iran, according to US Central Command, 24NewsHD TV channel reported on Sunday.
In a statement, the command said an American naval helicopter was involved in stopping the ship, identified as MV Seven. Officials said the vessel is now sailing back to Iran under US monitoring.
US authorities alleged that the Iranian ship was involved in the transfer of illegal goods under the cover of commercial trade. They said MV Seven was one of 19 vessels placed on a blacklist a day earlier.
According to the statement, the listed ships were linked to the transport of Iranian energy products, including oil and gas worth billions of dollars.
The US Treasury has recently imposed sanctions on Iranian shipping networks and vessels accused of helping Tehran move energy exports despite restrictions.
Iran has not immediately responded to the latest US claims.